One Night In A Cave
by Veni Vidi Vichi
Summary: Zuko and Katara are stuck in a cave for an entire night. Katara isn’t too happy about it, but Zuko has his own plan, one that doesn’t include capturing the avatar.


Hey, it's Libros! I love Avatar and the Last Airbender, but I haven't seen any new episodes in ages! So, the only things I know about are what I read in fanfictions. (I haven't seen any episodes since Zuko found out he is related to Avatar Roku!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender, obviously, if I did, the Crystal Catacombs would never have happened, and Aang and Katara would never, ever kiss!

Katara glared at Zuko as she hugged her knees in an attempt to get warm.

"How do I get myself into these messes?" She muttered to herself as she shivered.

Flashback

"I can't stand you!" Katara screeched at Zuko, who just stood there, looking like he couldn't care less, if you didn't notice the fisted hands by his side. His, I so don't care attitude only made Katara more upset.

"Oh, be quiet Sugar Queen!" Toph yelled, using her earthbending to toss Katara away from Zuko, who's face she had been just sticking her finger at, and Katara landed some distance away.

"You guys have to stop fighting," Aang said, using his best, I am the Avatar, voice. Toph wasn't the only one who was being driven crazy by their constant bickering. "Now what were you saying you needed?"

"Well, I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted," Katara ground out while glaring daggers at Zuko. "I need help foraging for some food."

She missed the smile that spread across Aang's lips as she talked, so she stood there waiting for someone to offer.

"Too blind," Toph said as way of excuse as she flopped down onto a rock chair.

"Too busy," Haru, Duke, and Teo chorused as they went off to explore the Air Temple.

"I could..." Sokka started, but Aang interrupted,

"Don't you remember what you promised to do?" Aang asked, pulling his best pout. Sokka looked at him in confusion, so Aang wiggled his eyebrows and continued, "You said you'd teach me how to use your sword, right?"

"Oh, you're right of course Aang. Sorry Katara, I did promise," Sokka said, grinning at Aang behind Katara's back.

"I'll go," Zuko offered suddenly, taking Katara aback. After all, she had just finished giving him the tongue lashing of his life, in her mind anyway.

"Well, I'd rather you wou-" Katara began, but Toph caught her off,

"There, now everything is settled. Bring me back something good!"

For a second, Katara entertained the suspicion that they were plotting against her, but since they were her friends, she quickly dismissed that idea.

They walked side by side for a while, an awkward silence taking over. Zuko was just opening his mouth to ask a question when Katara said,

"Well, there's this place I think we can find some food, but it's a bit of a climb. Do you think you can keep up?"

The last part was obviously a challenge, but Zuko just gave her a "duh" look out of the corner of his eye. Katara frowned in frustration. For some unknown reason, she wanted him to rise to her insults, because at least he would be showing her some kind of reaction. Ever since he had came, he'd been ignoring her, and it was getting on her nerves.

"Well, at least you're proving that you aren't always useless, Zuzu," Katara said, teasing hoping to hit a nerve, and hit a nerve it did.

"Shut your mouth." Zuko said, his golden eyes burning with restrained fire, and his hands were clenched into tight fists. Katara didn't miss either of these reactions.

"Why should I?" Katara hissed, needing a reason, any reason at all, to hate him.

"Because you don't know what you're talking about," Zuko answered, kicking a pebble of the edge of the cliff. It could be heard clattering down for a long time, and Katara pressed,

"Well then why don't you tell me, because from where I sit, you're just a backstabbing, two faced, jerk."

"I don't need to explain anything to you," Zuko said, reaching up and picking some fruit off the tree she had stopped in front off.

"Well then I don't need to forgive you!" Katara yelled, even as she was opening her bag so that Zuko could drop the fruit in.

"I don't need to explain anything to you!" Zuko repeated, his face dangerously close to hers, giving her a good view of his scared face. He turned away and began to walk in the direction she had indicated earlier, and she followed him.

'Are you happy now?" Katara's conscience asked her.

'Not real... yes, of course I'm happy! He's a big jerk!' She responded.

'Really?' Her conscience asked.

"Hey, Katara, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like that. It's just that you were reminding me of my sister and-" Zuko interrupted her thoughts, but she didn't let him go any further.

"You're comparing me to your sister?!" Katara screeched. "Azula, the pyscho killer chick?!"

"Yes," Zuko said softly, glancing at her cautiously, cursing his slip. This was not going at all like he had planned it. Katara hmphed and kept walking, not saying anything. Zuko eyed her warily, like she was some kind of explosive that could go off at any moment.

They were walking in a very tense silence when Zuko looked up at the sky and noticed it's clear blue of earlier had transformed itself into a harsh black boiling kettle.

"Hey, Katara?" Zuko started tentatively.

"What?" She snapped, not even turning to look at him.

Casting one last look to the heavens, he said lightly,

"Oh, nevermind."

She wasn't happy, and he wasn't going to do anything else to invoke her rage. They picked some more fruit off the trees they found, but it wasn't too long before the rain began to fall.

"Curse it!" Katara growled, her eyes glancing up to the sky. "I hope it isn't a thunderstorm."

As if to mock her, the heavens sent forth a flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder.

'Am I cursed?' Katara groaned inwardly, eyes darting around for some kind of shelter.

'This is all your fault!' Her conscience complained.

'How so?' Katara inwardly growled.

'What goes around comes around! If you hadn't been so mean to Zuko, maybe we wouldn't be caught in the storm of the century.' It replied.

By this time, she and Zuko were both throughly soaked, and Katara let out a very audible sigh.

"Come on Katara, I found a cave!" Zuko called, gesturing, and she came, albeit, reluctantly.

They walked in and it's dark bleak interior and the storm outside matched Katara's growing bad mood. Katara quickly bended the water out of her clothes and, while completely ignoring Zuko, sat on the opposite side of the cave

EndFlashback

Katara watched suspiciously as Zuko walked over to the spot next to her and sat down. Before she could ask, he answered her unspoken question,

"You're cold right? And I'm wet. You solve my wet problem, and I'll solve yours."

Katara turned her head away from him, and sat in silence until she shivered again, more violently this time.

"Fine!" She said, giving up as she bent the water out of his clothes and flung it outside the cave. She was annoyed at the very thought of giving in and helping Zuko. Instantly though, his body heat rose, but it only struck the side of her body closest to him.

"You might have to come a little closer," Zuko said, looking away and trying to look uninterested, so she wouldn't notice the blush spreading over his face. A blush was slowly claiming place over her face as well, but he was too busy hiding his own to notice.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Katara muttered as she did what he instructed.

"What?" Zuko asked, hardly believing what he was hearing.

"Don't make me repeat that," Katara said, lifting her head off her knees to get a closer look at him.

"Okay," Zuko said quickly, just happy that she had talked to him.

"We're going to be stuck here for a while, aren't we?" Katara questioned.

"Probably," Zuko responded.

"I hope everybody else is okay," Katara said, her voice taking on her motherly quality.

"Katara, they're in a building, we are in a cave. I'm sure they're fine," Zuko responded.

"You really have changed, haven't you?" Katara questioned wonderingly. "What made you change? I mean, you went from honor bound fire nation should rule the world supporter to help the avatar do what's right guy."

"I got everything I ever wanted when I got home, but then I realized, it wasn't what I wanted." Zuko responded, smiling a little at the goofiness of what she said.

"What do you mean?" Katara asked him curiously, still keeping her guard up.

"My sister was still I pyscho, my father didn't really love me, and my girlfriend didn't care about anything. Then I find out about the history of my family, and my uncle was in prison. It just wasn't what I really wanted. Then I thought about you guys and how you guys always seemed so happy, and I knew I had made a mistake at Ba Sing Se. Of course that's a really condensed version." Zuko responded, watching her tired eyes. It would have been dark out by now, even if it wasn't storming, and Katara looked tired.

"I'd like to hear the whole story sometime, but right now, I'm tired," Katara said sleepily, leaning on his warm shoulder, the warmth lulling her to sleep. Zuko just let her use it as a pillow, and making the cave wall his bed, he fell asleep.

Katara's very short dream

"I love you Katara." A dark haired boy said, ignoring the flames of the battle that surrounded them.

"I love you too Zuko." Katara responded, her lips meeting his, even as Azula shot lightning in their direction.

Katara woke up slowly, sweating all over, wondering where she was, and why she felt so warm and her pillow so soft.

"Ready to go Katara?" Zuko asked, a chuckle in his voice. "You were muttering my name in your sleep. It sounded like a nightmare in the end, so I thought I'd better wake you up."

Still partially under the effects of her dream, Katara lifted her face up until it was level with his and then gently leaned forward, her lips brushing lightly against his as she muttered,

"I'm not losing you again."

Zuko was confused by what she said, but he wasn't about to argue about it.

"Hey, we made this plan to make you guys friends, not fall in love!" Aang exclaimed from the entranceway.

Both Katara and Zuko, who had just began to kiss back, turned and looked guiltily toward their friends.

Aang was looking a little hurt, but Toph had his hand in hers and was smiling like she had just gotten a present. Sokka, on the other hand, looked torn between congratulating Zuko, and punching him in his face. Luckily, Toph took the decision away from him by saying,

"Twinkletoes made us get up early and form a search party for you two, but it doesn't look like you really need it!" Toph said cheerily, and turned Aang around and forced him to walk back in the direction of the temple. Sokka stared at Katara for another second before turning around and following Toph and Aang.

"So, are you going to tell me the rest of the story?" Katara asked as he pulled her to her feet.

"Why not?" Zuko asked as they ran to catch up to the others, hand in hand.

That was so weak! I have a feeling that I just butchered that ending, but it's late and I wanted to finish this before I went to sleep. Oh well, maybe I'll go back and edit it tomorrow. (Sighs deeply and hangs head in a depressed fashion) Tell me how I did with the fighting, cause I'm really bad at argument scenes

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